I. ˈrik noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English reke, reek, from Old English hrēac; akin to Old Norse hraukr rick, and perhaps to Old English hrycg ridge — more at ridge
1. : an elongated stack or pile (as of grain, straw, or hay) in the open air and often protected from wet with thatching
2. : a pile of cordwood, stave bolts, or other material split from short logs ; specifically : a cord eight feet long by four feet high and of a width equal to the length of one stick
3. : a framework of wood or metal used in a warehouse to hold barrels of whiskey during the aging period
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to heap up (as hay) in ricks : pile up
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: perhaps from Middle English wrikken to move unsteadily
chiefly Britain : wrench , sprain
IV. noun
( -s )
chiefly Britain : sprain